Fear of the Plunge
If you remember going to swim for the first time, you’ll probably recall standing on the ledge, hesitating for a second or two, before plunging into the pool. The younger you were to learn to swim, the easier it was to jump because the whole thing was about having fun while learning something new.
The older you are when you learn swimming, the harder that first jump is going to be. You’ll probably hesitate for more than a few seconds, and maybe you’ll start convincing yourself “you’re here, aren’t you? you might as well jump! Just do it .. everyone is looking!”
Maybe your friends will assure you the water is the right temperature and you need to get over your fear, maybe taunt you because you haven’t jumped yet making up all sorts of excuses, and even sneak on you to push you into the pool. (We all have that one!)
Going through the experience of learning/ doing something new is not easy, especially as we get older (and not much wise). We are afraid of the proverbial lunge; the new experience that we don’t need to have in our life, but some mysterious part of us is pushing towards having.
That fear can be visceral. It’s in your stomach area, your knees, and legs, your back turns rigid and shoulders hunched. It is the same reaction that an animal gets when sensing danger. Despite its evolution, it seems our brain’s primitive parts (lizard brain) tries to keep us from a perceived threat.
That’s why when you start negotiating with that part, you want to start small: I’ll dip my toes to feel the water; I’ll see how it feels if I use the steps, one step at a time, etc. The more your body adjusts to the coolness of the pool, your body relaxes. You’re here now. You can be more daring.
The swimming analogy is there in everything you do. We are continually facing the need and the challenge to learn, unlearn, and grow, whether on professional, personal, or social levels. And we will meet that fear that makes us freeze before ‘diving in.’
What helps is the awareness of the sensations we feel throughout one’s body, and the stories one repeats to scare or cheer themselves to stop or continue. It is simple, but not easy to repeatedly negotiate with that fear, and cheer yourself on towards a goal or aim; it is a practice.
And you do it anyway, one toe at a time until you’re ‘there.’
